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Re: Pdf viewer in web browser

Pdf viewer in web browser

jaidgossamer
Helpful | Level 7
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Hi: I used to be able to view pdf files in Chrome's native pdf viewer.  Suddenly, I am no longer able to view files through Chrome's viewer, but only through what looks to be some new dropbox proprietary viewer.  I'd like to be able to go back to the Chrome viewer, as the dropbox viewer has cut pdf functionality significantly.  

 

How can I go back to viewing my pdf files on Chrome's native pdf viewer?  Thank you.  

34 Replies 34

jaidgossamer
Helpful | Level 7
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Thank you so much for this fix, Jane, it worked really well!

 

Here are the steps:

 

(1) Select file to open in new tab (press Ctrl + file or Cmd + file). 

 

(2) You are now in Dropbox viewer, so navigate to the bottom center of the page and press the "Print" icon.  

 

(3) You will be taken to yet another new tab, with a print dialog box overlay.  Simply press "Cancel" to get out of the print dialog box overlay and you will now be in Chrome's native pdf viewer.  

 

Note that you can only press the "Print" icon in the bottom center of the page . . . pressing Ctrl + P will take you through a completely different print process.  

 

Please also note that this fix will only allow you to see those pdfs that can already be viewed in Dropbox viewer.  If the pdf is too large to be viewed in Dropbox viewer, then it also cannot be viewed using this fix.  

 

Also note that this fix only works in Chrome - I have confirmed that it does not work in Firefox, Safari, Chromium, Opera, or the Tor Browser.  

 

Once again, thanks so much for all of your help with this, Jane, it was really helpful!

Zed
Dropbox Staff
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Nice one @Jane ! Solving this thread!




Zed
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
https://dropbox.com/support


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Questions asked in the community will likely receive an answer within 4 hours!)

Jane
Dropbox Staff
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Hey all, 

  

If it’s not too much trouble for you, would you mind taking a minute of your time to fill out a survey sharing your experience using the Dropbox Community? You can access it here: http://bit.ly/2lNKIxT .
 
[ Please feel free to get back in touch here at any time if you have any other Dropbox questions or experience any issues in the future. ]
 
Happy syncing! :upside_down:

 


Jane
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support

 

Heart Did this post help you? If so please give it a Like below. 
:white_check_mark: Did this post fix your issue/answer your question? If so please press the 'Accept as Best Answer' button to help others find it.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Still stuck? Ask me a question! (
Questions asked in the community will likely receive an answer within 4 hours!)

jaidgossamer
Helpful | Level 7
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Hi all:

 

I finally found a solution that might not be ideal for everyone, but actually solves the problems listed above . . . I've been having issues using the Dropbox viewer to view my pdfs, have not been able to view any larger pdfs, and one other poster mentioned that he was having some difficulty sharing his pdfs with others.  

 

I've been asking for a fix that would allow us to completely bypass the Dropbox viewer so that we can view our pdfs in Chrome's native viewer.  Some of the techs were lovely and brilliant enough to come up with the fix that involves "printing" the pdf (and then canceling out of the print dialog box), which allows you to then see the pdf in Chrome viewer.  Unfortunately, though, this did not solve the issue of not being able to open larger pdfs - if the pdf couldn't be open in Dropbox viewer, then trying to "print" the pdf does not work, and you also will not be able to view the pdf in Chrome.

 

The one solution that I have been using that satisfies all the above issues is to abandon Dropbox and use Google Drive to store and share my pdfs.  I've been able to open and view ALL pdfs in Google Drive (even 6,000 page legal tomes!!!) without any issue, and GD also allows us to connect all sorts of third party apps so that we can view our pdfs in the third-party viewer of our choosing.  I've also had a much easier time sharing these pdfs with my colleagues on GD . . . Dropbox sharing was easy so long as the receiving party also had a Dropbox account.  

 

This has really been a god-send as I work with people all over the country, and these people often access these work documents via Mac OS, Windows, iOS, and Android platforms . . . Google Drive has allowed us the straight-forward ability to download items directly onto the desktop/Google Drive app without having to hunt for the proper methodology for doing so.  

 

So, while I absolutely love Dropbox, I really don't want to have to add several extra key strokes to get things done, or spend time figuring out how to do the simplest things, or have massive changes made to a system that not only wasn't broken in the first place, but also wasn't wanted, warranted, or needed, while ultimately taking away functionality.  I work 12 to 15 hours a day, 7 days a week, and I can't afford to have my workflow disrupted so severely every other month when some random new change is rolled out.

 

So, those looking for maximum functionality when using, storing, and sharing pdfs should consider doing so via Google Drive. 

 

 

Roger F.8
Helpful | Level 5
Go to solution

I am customer for years, could you guys please just give us the ability to open pdf with the native chrome viewer? Dropbox PDF viewer is much worst and limited, while you guys don't have a PDF viewer as good as chrome, for example, dont obligate your paying customers to use this. It is like we are paying Dropbox to make the service worst everyday, dont "fix" what wasn't broken to begin with.

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